| This Island Earth | |
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 Tribute poster by Mitch O'Connell. |
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| Directed by | Joseph M. Newman |
| Produced by | William Alland |
| Written by | Raymond F. Joseph M Newman ( August 17, 1909 - January 23, 2006) was an American film director most famous for his 1955 film Jones (story "The Alien Machine") Franklin Coen Edward G. O'Callaghan |
| Starring | Jeff Morrow Faith Domergue Rex Reason Lance Fuller Russell Johnson |
| Music by | Joseph Gershenson (music supervision) Henry Mancini (uncredited) Hans J. Salter (uncredited) Herman Stein (uncredited) |
| Cinematography | Clifford Stine |
| Editing by | Virgil Vogel |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures International |
| Release date(s) | June 1, 1955 (U. Irving "Jeff" Morrow (b January 13, 1907 in New York City; d Faith Domergue ( June 16, 1924 - April 4, 1999) was a film actress Rex Reason (born in Berlin Germany on November 30, 1928) is an American actor For other people with this or similar names see Russell Johnson (disambiguation. Henry Mancini ( April 16, 1924 &ndash June 14, 1994) was an Academy Award winning American Composer, conductor Hans J Salter ( January 14, 1896 – July 23, 1994) was an American film composer. Herman Stein ( August 19 1915 &ndash March 15 2007) was an American Composer who wrote music for many of the 1950s Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios) a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is a major Global American Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected The year 1955 in film involved some significant events Events November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls S. release) |
| Running time | 87 min |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
This Island Earth is a Technicolor, 1955 science fiction film directed by Joseph M. Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Newman. It is based on the novel of the same name by Raymond F. Jones. Raymond Fisher Jones ( November 15, 1915, Salt Lake City, Utah - January 24, 1994, Sandy, Utah was an American The film stars Jeff Morrow as the alien Exeter, Faith Domergue as Dr. Ruth Adams, and Rex Reason as Dr. Cal Meacham. Being one of the first major science fiction films produced in color, This Island Earth opened the door to high-budget space-themed productions such as MGM's Forbidden Planet. Forbidden Planet is a 1956 Science fiction film directed by Fred M In 1996, This Island Earth was also edited down and lampooned in the film Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie. Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie (1996 produced by Best Brains, Inc
When initially released, the film was praised by most critics, many citing the special effects, well written script and eye-popping color (prints by Technicolor) as being its major assets.
Contents |
Plot
Dr. Cal Meacham, a noted scientist, receives an unusual substitute for electronic condensers that he ordered. A capacitor is a passive electrical component that can store Energy in the Electric field between a pair of conductors They are un-Earthly in their ability to carry overloads of electricity; he sends a letter to the company that supplied the parts, and receives a package which appears to be a catalog. He begins ordering parts from it, and eventually is given a kit to build a very complex communication device called an interocitor. The interocitor is a fictitious multi-functional device featured in the 1955 Science fiction film This Island Earth (and later When the device is finished, Meacham receives a message on it: A mysterious man named Exeter tells him he has passed the test he was given. His ability to build the interocitor demonstrates that he is gifted enough to be part of the special research project Exeter is running.
Intrigued, Meacham accepts an invitation to visit Exeter's facility, and finds an international group of top-flight scientists already present--including an old flame, Dr. Ruth Adams. But Cal is almost immediately suspicious of the odd-looking group of men leading the mission.
Cal and Ruth decide to slip away from the facility, but as they take off in a small plane, they watch as the facility and all its inhabitants are incinerated, and their plane is drawn up inside a flying saucer. Flying saucer is the name given to a type of Unidentified flying object (UFO with a disc- or Saucer -shaped body usually described as silver or metallic
It is then that Cal and Ruth learn that Exeter and his band are aliens from the planet Metaluna, come to Earth seeking scientists to help them defend their planet in the war against the evil Zagons. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 Though they protest, Exeter informs them that he is taking them back to his war-torn planet, in the hope that they can do something to aid it.
After a mind-bending journey, they arrive to find the planet under full bombardment and falling quickly to the enemy. Metalunan society is breaking down and there is little hope. The Monitor (Exeter's leader) reveals that the Metalunans intend to relocate to Earth and insists that Meacham and Adams be subjected to the Thought Transference Chamber in order to subjugate their free will when they object to this plan. Exeter believes this to be immoral and also misguided since it sets up unconscious barriers in the minds of the subjects and thus constrains their ability to help the Metalunans. Exeter decides to help Meacham and Adams escape, thus revolting against his own kind, before they enter the brain-reprogramming facility.
Cal overpowers the mutant creature accompanying them (but not before it wounds Exeter) and the three make their escape and journey back to Earth. As they enter Earth's atmosphere, Exeter sends the two on their way in their small plane, but as he himself is too wounded to continue and his ship is nearly depleted of energy, he allows the saucer to crash into the sea. Cal and Ruth return home.
Many critics cite the special effects as the strongest element in This Island Earth, which were ground breaking for their time and are considered by many film buffs to be comparable to modern special effects.
Parodies
This Island Earth is the film-within-the-film Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie. Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie (1996 produced by Best Brains, Inc Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie (1996 produced by Best Brains, Inc As in the television series, the fictional crew of the spaceship "Satellite of Love" are forced to watch the film as part of an "experiment"; while watching the film, the crew can be seen in silhouette at the bottom of the screen, mocking the action. Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American Cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced The film also includes "host segments" (skits with the crew and Mad Scientists), including two scenes with the characters using an Interocitor.
The original motion picture This Island Earth is more than 20 minutes longer than the edited version featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, which removes several sequences, some important (like a sequence of the Zagon fleet attacking Metaluna), both in order to make the film fit a shorter 73-minute running time and to accommodate several "host segments". In addition, producers from Universal Pictures demanded the film be shorter. Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios) a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is a major Global American Ironically this makes Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie shorter than This Island Earth, or even the average MST3K episode (running time 90 minutes with commercial breaks filling the show out to 2 hours). Within the film, the shortness of This Island Earth is due to the film breaking partway through.
Trivia
- The film was one of the last films to use the three strip Technicolor filming process. Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation Even during production, the film's special effects were shot on the more conventional Eastman color process, which most studios had already switched to. Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation
- The Mutant seen in this film was one of several potential aliens for Universal's 3-D film It Came from Outer Space (1953). See also [[stereoscopy]] In film the term 3-D (or 3D) is used to describe any visual presentation system that attempts to maintain or recreate moving images It Came from Outer Space is a 1953 Science Fiction 3-D film directed by Jack Arnold, and starring Richard Carlson, Universal used it in This Island Earth after it was rejected by the other film's director, Jack Arnold.
- Some European film reviewers noted the similarity to the Earth scientists being recruited by aliens to help them fight a war against other aliens with the American acquisition of German and other European scientists to help fight the Cold War. Operation Paperclip (also Project Paperclip) was the code name for the O Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the
- A brief homage to This Island Earth is seen in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). This article is about the 1982 film For the term "ET" which redirects here see ET. E. T. turns the TV on to This Island Earth, at the scene when Cal and Ruth are being abducted by the aliens and Cal says, "They're pulling us up!"
- The bug mutant character in this film has a cameo during the Area 52 sequence of the Joe Dante film, Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Joseph Domenick "Joe" Dante (born November 28, 1946) is an American Film director and producer of films generally with Looney Tunes Back in Action is a 2003 Live-action/animated film that tells the story of a hapless stuntman DJ Drake (played by Brendan Fraser Dante also featured the final sequence from the film on a television at the beginning of his 1985 film Explorers. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Explorers is a 1985 science fiction, Fantasy film targeted at a family audience
- The movie is referenced in the Misfits song "This Island Earth". The Misfits are an American
External links
- This Island Earth at the Internet Movie Database
- Review by Science Fiction Weekly
- The Official Website of "This Island Earth" Star Rex Reason
- This Island Earth Sourcebook at The Thunder Child
- This Island Earth soundtrack release by Monstrous Movie Music review
- Fansite
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